Walter Odening; biologist loved Mission Trails Regional Park

As a biologist and botanist by profession, Walter Odening was a nature lover at heart who volunteered his time and expertise to Mission Trails Regional Park.

Dr. Odening's work as a biological consultant took him to job sites from Alaska to Florida, and he enjoyed traveling throughout the Southwest and Midwest with his wife, but the San Diego park held a special place in his life.

Dr. Odening sought to balance the ideals of preserving natural habitat with encouraging people to explore what had been the land of the Kumeyaay Indians. He was active with the park's Citizens Advisory Committee for 15 years and had been a board director of the park's foundation since 2001.

Dr. Odening died of prostate cancer April 11 at his San Diego home. He was 70.

He took up bodyboarding in his 60s and was known for his love of history and chocolate malts.

“No matter where we were the desert, Hawaii, anywhere he could find a DQ (Dairy Queen) for his double shot of chocolate in a chocolate malt,” former colleague Ron Freeman said.

Friends and relatives said Dr. Odening was able to mediate tense meetings on park issues.

“He was such a solid person of great wisdom. He was able to calm the restless troops,” said Pete Cuthbert, a retired park planner for the county who worked on several committees with Dr. Odening.

He saw himself as a guardian of the Mission Trails park and worked to maintain its rural flavor in the midst of an urban area, Cuthbert said.

“His background in biology and botany was invaluable to us,” said Dorothy Leonard, secretary-treasurer of the park's foundation. “Walter understood the benefit of both preserving the natural environment and having people close to nature. He brought common sense to the table.”

Walter Robert Odening was born June 14, 1938, in East Highlands, near Redlands, to Edna and Walter Odening. He served as a Navy Seabee in Alaska. He was attending San Diego State College in 1964 when he met his future wife in a biology lab.

“I was in a lab coat, dissecting a cat, and he couldn't resist (me),” said his wife, Linda. “He asked me out on a date. I told him I had to collect crabs for an experiment, and that's what we did.”

They married a year later.

Dr. Odening earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1963 and a master's degree in 1968 from San Diego State. He received his doctorate in botany/ecology from Duke University in 1971.

Linda Odening said her husband found joy in his profession and in his volunteer work.

“It started with the (San Diego County) Off-Road (Vehicle Advisory) Committee; then there was a noise problem in Tierrasanta, and he got on that,” she said. “He just found more and more things of interest to him, and he loved doing it.”

Dr. Odening served on the Tierrasanta Community Council and the City of San Diego Community Forest Advisory Board.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Odening is survived by a sister, Nancy Neal of Mentone; and a half brother, Ed McCormick of Redlands.

A celebration of life will be held at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Mission Park Trails Regional Park amphitheater. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mission Trails Regional Park, Visitors Center, 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego, CA 92119-1008; or to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, 1250 Fourth St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.